Tag: 2015 elections

Former President of the Senate, David Mark, has denied receiving over N2bn from the Peoples Democratic Party through a National Assembly account for distribution to senators.

Mark, in a statement on Sunday by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, said as a law-abiding citizen, he had answered an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to deny the allegation.

Mumeh noted that it was “the first and only official statement from the office of Mark on this issue.”

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to media reports wherein it was reported that former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, was quizzed by EFCC over some alleged financial transactions.

“To set the records straight, Senator Mark was invited by the EFCC via a letter addressed to the National Assembly to answer questions on the 2015 presidential election campaign funds as it concerned Benue State.

“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Mark honoured the invitation.

“Curiously, they also alleged that the PDP paid over N2bn into the National Assembly’s account which he, as then President of the Senate, allegedly shared among the 109 senators, including PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigerians Peoples Party (members) in 2010.

“Again, to the best of his knowledge, Senator Mark is not aware of such transaction. This simply did not make sense to any right thinking member of the society.

“Senator Mark wondered why anybody would think that PDP will pay money into National Assembly account. He, however, clarified all the issues raised before returning home.

“Senator Mark believes in due process and the rule of law. He has maintained a clean record of public service over the years and will continue to uphold the highest standard of conduct expected of public servants.”

The statement added that politicians across party lines, friends and well-wishers have been on “pilgrimage” to Mark’s house ever since, to identify with him “at this moment.”

“He, however, appealed to his supporters, friends and associates to remain calm and see his current travails as a price he has to pay for leadership,” the statement concluded.

Punch Games

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday admitted in evidence three extrajudicial statements made by an ex-Administrative Secretary with the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Christian Nwosu.

Nwosu is being tried for allegedly taking a bribe of N30m to compromise the 2015 general elections.

In the course of his trial before Justice Mohammed Idris, Nwosu had, through his lawyer, Mr. Victor Opara, opposed the move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to tender three statements he made while in the cell of the anti-graft agency.

Opara contended that Nwosu did not voluntarily make the statements but was rather cajoled by EFCC operatives who dictated the statements to him and cajoled him to append his signature to them.

But counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, maintained that Nwosu voluntarily made the statements, adding that he was duly cautioned before making same.

In his ruling on Monday, after a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements, Justice Idris held that Opara failed to prove that the statements were dictated to his client.

Contrary to Opara’s contention that the statements were indicting of Nwosu, the judge held that the statements were not confessional, as they did not expressly show that Nwosu committed the offence in the charge against him.

The judge held, “The requisite intent and ‘mens rea‘ has not been proved by the defendant’s counsel.

“It has not been shown that the statements were positive, direct and unequivocal as to the commission of the offences for which the defendant is standing trial.

“I cannot, in the circumstances, hold that these statements are, indeed, confessional.

“The defendant also corroborated the claims of the prosecution that he was cautioned before the statements were written.

“Though the defendant alleged that the statements were dictated to him amidst coercion, the said allegation was, however, debunked by the prosecution witnesses.

“However, the defendant failed to prove his own side of the story with any corroborative evidence.

“It has also been argued that the statements were taken contrary to the provisions of Section 17 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

“The word ‘may’ as used in the section appears permissive and not mandatory.

“I therefore hold the view that non-compliance with Section 17 of the ACJA does not render the statements involuntarily.

“In the circumstances, I hold that the statements are admissible in evidence.”

Punch Games

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday attributed his victory during the 2015 presidential elections to those he described as “good-hearted Nigerians.”

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving three of his young admirers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The girls were said to have shown high interest in Buhari’s administration and prayed for his recovery during ill-health.

Three-year-old Maya Jammal became an internet sensation when her videoed prayer for the President’s recovery went viral, while 10-year-old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi wrote a personal letter to Buhari describing herself as his “biggest fan”.

Nicole Benson, 12 years old, had contributed N5,785 to the President’s campaign in 2015, which was all saved up from her lunch and pocket allowance.

“I am very impressed with what the children have been able to do. I can see Maya is shy. I watched her video where she was praying for my recovery when I was ill,” Buhari was quoted as saying.

He attributed his victory at the polls to the contributions of good-hearted Nigerians, like young Nicole, who is from Lagos State, and showed her support by sending her personal savings.

“Nicole, I congratulate you, and myself for being here today. Your contribution made a great impact. As you can see, I am here in the Presidential Villa. Thank you,’’ he said.

Buhari told Aisha that her letter was heart-warming, noting that he felt re-assured knowing he had fans amongst the children.

“Thank you very much for the letter,’’ he said.

The President said he looked forward to more visits from the children.

“I am hoping that it will not be the first and last time we will be meeting while I am here. We will continue to meet even after I have left here,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mr. Aliyu Ibrahim Gebbi, said the President’s gesture of inviting the children to the Presidential Villa was a dream come true.

Gebbi said the invitation also added to the President’s long-standing record of good-heartedness and fairness.

“In a nation with few legends and accuracy of truth, we look up to you, Mr. President, and our children are looking up to you,’’ he added.

Punch Games

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Social Media, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is only after those who have stolen items in their possession.

She said this while reacting to the accusations by former First Lady, Patience Jonathan that Buhari ‘s government is persecuting her.

Punch Games

An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Christian Nwosu, who was convicted of taking N30m bribe to compromise the 2015 general elections, has abandoned the plea bargain he entered with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Nwosu, who was arraigned for bribery on April 5 alongside two of his colleagues in the commission, had earlier pleaded guilty to taking N30m out of a total bribe of N264.88m offered by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to compromise the election.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, had told the court that Nwosu had entered into a plea bargain agreement with the commission, adding that the commission had recovered from him N5m cash and a parcel of land worth N25m, which he purchased with the proceeds of bribery.

Subsequently on April 27, the EFCC presented the plea bargain agreement before the Federal High Court in Lagos, urging the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, to adopt the terms as the court’s decision in the case.

In the said plea bargain agreement dated April 5, the EFCC accepted an offer by Nwosu to pay a fine of N500,000 as the punishment for his offence beside the land and the N5m that had been recovered from him.

But in his ruling on April 27, Justice Idris rejected the N500,000 fine, holding that Section 16(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, under which Nwosu was charged, prescribed a minimum of two-year imprisonment or a fine of N10m for anyone convicted under the Act.

Justice Idris said he could not endorse the plea bargain agreement, as it would amount to a breach of the law.

The judge said Nwosu was at liberty to rescind his decision on the plea bargain.

In response, Nwosu’s lawyer, Mrs. Adaku Mbana, had sought an adjournment to enable her client weigh his options, saying, “We are, right now, between the deep blue sea and the devil of N10m fine and two-year imprisonment.”

Justice Idris had then adjourned till May 3.

At the resumed proceedings today (Wednesday), Nwosu appeared in court with a new lawyer, Obinna Okereke, who said his client was backtracking on the plea bargain.

The new lawyer accused the EFCC of not being sincere with his client, saying he was cajoled into the plea bargain agreement.

Following the withdrawal of Nwosu’s plea bargain, Oyedepo presented an amended charge before the court and asked that the case file be sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for re-assignment to another judge.

This, he said, was because the Administration of Criminal Justice Act stipulated that a judge who had rejected a plea bargain could no longer preside over the case.

But the defence counsel, Okereke, argued that the court needed not be in a hurry to return the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment.

He argued that his client could not be said to have truly entered into any plea bargain agreement with the EFCC because he was ill advised by the anti-graft agency and was denied the liberty of hiring a counsel of his choice.
Okereke said what was more pressing was for the court to entertain Nwosu’s bail application because he had been in the EFCC custody for over a month.

After listening to the parties, Justice Idris adjourned till May 15 for the counsel to address him on the issue of transferring the case file to the Chief Judge.

Meanwhile, the judge convicted Yisa Adedoyin, who was joined as the second defendant in the case.

Adedoyin, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to receiving N70,050m from the Diezani bribe, changed his mind and entered into a plea bargain with the EFCC.

According to the plea bargain agreement presented to the court on Wednesday, Yisa opted to forfeit to the Federal Government a parcel of land at Taoreed Road, Buda-Osho Village, Kwara State and also pay a fine of N10m.

Ruling on the plea bargain, Justice Idris said it was acceptable as it complied with the Section 270 of the ACJA.

The judge held, “Five million naira has been recovered and surrendered. Assets attached in excess of N30m have been recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. I

“t is not in contention that the 2nd defendant is a first-time offender; therefore, the court will tamper justice with mercy. It is in this light that I find the plea agreement entered into between the Federal government of Nigeria and the second defendant acceptable.”

Punch Games

A relationship manager with First Bank Plc, Maitama branch, Abuja, Mrs. Zainab Ibrahim-Kokobili, on Wednesday gave details of how African Independent Televison’s founder, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, received N2.1bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser between January and March 2015.

Ibrahim-Kokobili was testifying before Justice John Tsoho of a Federal High Court in Abuja as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Dokpesi, along with his firm, Daar Investment and Holdings Limited, on charges bordering on the N2.1bn they (Dokpesi and Daar) received from ONSA.

Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the witness said the money was paid by ONSA into the account of Daar Investments and Holdings Limited’s First Bank account, to which Dokpesi was said to be a signatory.

Daar Investment and Holdings Limited is the registered owner of AIT.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had filed six counts of money laundering and other charges relating to procurement fraud against Dokpesi and Daar Investments for allegedly receiving N2.12bn from ONSA to prosecute Peoples Democratic Party’s 2015 presidential media campaign.

Dokpesi and Daar Investments were said to have received N2.12bn from ONSA, while being headed by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), as payment for a “purported contract on presidential media initiative.”

The prosecution alleged that the payment was in breach of and punishable under provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the EFCC (Establishment) Act.

Testifying as a prosecution witness on Wednesday, Ibrahim-Kokobili told the court that she had been Daar Investments and Holding Limited’s account officer at First Bank since November 2014.

Reading from the company’s statement of account, the witness said N2.12bn was paid into the account in four tranches of N500m, N500m, N620m and N500m between January and March 2015.

The witness said the balance on the company’s account was N113,885.28 before the first tranche of N500m was paid into the account on January 22, 2015.
Ibrahim-Kokobili said, “January 22, 2015 – RTGS, being payment by ONSA: N500m. It was a credit.

“Before the payment of N500m, the balance on the account was N113,885.28.

“February 4, 2015 – RTGS, being payment by ONSA: N500m.

“February 9, 2015 – RTGS, being payment by ONSA: N620m only. It was also a credit.

“March 19, 2015 – the naration is RTGS being payment by ONSA: N500m.”

She said Dokpesi and his son, Paul, were the two signatories to the account of Daar Investments and Holdings Limited.
She said going by the nature of the mandate on the account, either of the two signatories could singly give instruction to draw money from it.

She explained that the sum of N2.12bn was disbursed from Daar Investments and Holdings Limited after receiving instructions from Dokpesi.

She said, “The customer sent instructions to the bank for payments.

“Money was paid after getting confirmation from the customer.

“High Chief Raymond Anthony Alegho Dokpesi was the signatory who sent instructions for the payments.”

The witness was, however, not led by the prosecuting counsel to give details of the beneficiaries of the disbursements.

Earlier, the witness said she was invited by the EFCC to its Abuja office on February 6, 2016.

She said during the visit to the EFCC, she wrote a statement and presented to the anti-graft agency’s officials, documents relating to Daar Investments and Holdings Limited’s account with First Bank.

The documents were, the statement of account, account opening documentation, certificate of identification and transfer instructions on the account.

The prosecution tendered the documents and were admitted as exhibits by the judge without n objection from the defence team led by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) on Wednesday.

Under cross examination by Agabi, the witness said she did not know when the company’s account was opened but confirmed that the account was already in existence before the payment of N2.12bn into it.

When asked, she confirmed that she considered a payment by ONSA into an account as legitimate.

She also confirmed that there were many Nigerians who were in the habit of keeping money at home.

She also confirmed that a person who put his or her money in the bank “is not trying to hide it.”

When asked if she knew why the sum of N2.12bn was paid into Daar’s account she said “no”.

After the cross-examination by defence counsel, the prosecuting counsel, Atolagbe, re-examined the witness.

When asked by Atolagbe whether the bank “determines” the legitimacy of payments made into a customer’s account, the witness said, “at the point of credit, the bank would not know”.

Punch Games

Chukwudi Akasike and Friday Amobi, Port Harcourt

Hoodlums on Wednesday night burnt down the house of a former lawmaker, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, in Akpabu community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was learned that the development had caused panic in the community, as the incident was said to have happened less than 24 hours before an Appeal Court upheld the election of Sam Ogeh, the former lawmaker’s opponent in the March 19, 2016 State House of Assembly rerun election.

While Lloyd, who was the former Leader of the State House of Assembly contested on the platform of the All Progressives Alliance, Ogeh vied for the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

ThePUNCH learned that the hoodlums, who wore military camouflage, invaded Lloyd’s home at 8pm and set ablaze some aspects of his building.

A community source, Mr. Chijioke (surname withheld), disclosed that the arsonists invaded the community and caused anxiety with heavy gunfire.

Chijioke noted that the security quarters and the visitors’ lodge were burnt by the hoodlums, whose identity are yet unknown.

He said that property worth millions of naira at the guest house and in the security building were burnt.

The source further said it was the swift intervention of security operatives in the area that prevented the arsonists from attacking the main building.

The source said, “The building of former leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, has been burnt by unknown persons. The security room and the boys’ quarters were burnt. They did not touch the main building.”

Meanwhile, Lloyd has confirmed the attack on his house. He said that a group of men in military camouflage invaded his house and set it ablaze.

He explained that he had earlier received a threat message by a person suspected to be a cult member before the arson.

Speaking on the matter, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Odesanya, said the incident was caused by fire, adding that the main building was not burnt.

Punch Games

About 16 months after the 2015 Presidential elections, bodyguards of President Muhammadu Buhari who participated during the campaigns on Thursday protested against their “exclusion” by those they described “cabals in the government.”

They said the only reward they got for their efforts during the campaigns was the N20,000 paid to them in January and February 2015.

They alleged that “some cabals have hijacked the President”, adding that many of the key actors in Buhari’s government, who did not work for him, have denied them access to him.

Speaking at a press briefing addressed by their spokesperson, Badiru Olabiyi Balogun and three other members, Audu Odemeho, Kasim Abdullahi Hassan and Zubairu Idris, the group warned that their marginalisation constitutes security threat to the nation.

“Right now, we need Mr. President to appreciate our hard work for him. We need Mr. President to recognise the fact that we have lost everything because we championed the change agenda.

“Definitely, it is not just our exclusion that is a security threat to the country. Anything that would deny any man his dues and legitimate rights can be concluded to mean a security threat because when you don’t get your dues and what is rightly due for you, then you are opened to a lot of temptations. So, we are indeed a security threat”, Balogun stated.

Members of the Presidential Bodyguards which they put at over 100 personnel, were said to have been drawn from security and protocol departments and Buhari Support Organisation.

“During the electioneering campaign, we served the current President, Muhammadu Buhari as his personal bodyguards. That was who we were and that is what we are till now. One would have expected that having worked hard tirelessly and relentlessly for the President to assume the office he had desired all these years, the people that were in the forefront deserved to be recognised, compensated and remunerated, considering the volume of work and gravity of the sacrifices we had to make.

“We had to abandon things that were so dear to us, including our families and the things we were doing before because all of us needed change. We believed that we had all it takes. And now, having done all that we did, nobody has recognised our efforts. All through the 15 months and 90 days of the campaign, not a dime was given to us”, Balogun stated.

Zubairu Idris told journalists that recently, when he went to the Mosque in Aso Rock to worship, the President was elated and exclaimed: “Zubairu (Idris), where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

He was thereafter warned to steer clear and never come back to the mosque again for prayer.

“One of the President’s aide warned me never to near or enter the mosque again for worship. He specifically told me to go and worship Allah in another mosque and not the one in Aso Villa because God is everywhere”,

Among Buhari’s aides who were alleged to have denied them access to the President include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal; Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Ahmed Ali (retd) and Director-General of Department of State Services, Lawan Daura.

Others are the Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters Sariki Abba; Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Yau Darazzo and the President’s family member, Mamman Daura.

Efforts to get the response of the Director of Press in the Office of the SGF, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi and Senior Special Assitant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, for response proved unsuccessful.